Tag: Edmonton

Still Unremarkable: Earls

Mack, Kimmi, Dickson and I grabbed a quick bite to eat at Earls (Tin Palace, 11830 Jasper Avenue) this evening. I really don’t have that much to say about this chain restaurant, as it is pretty well known that I would prefer not to eat at Earls if given the choice. My personal bias aside, I do understand the pull of their “Wings Wednesdays” on the greater public, and for that, I can sacrifice my personal taste from time to time.

I will admit, however, that this was the first time I remotely enjoyed what I ordered – a Margherita Pizza. While not sensational (a la Bridges), it wasn’t bad.

Until we meet again, Earls.

Margherita Pizza

Closer to the Bottom: Garage Burger Bar

Mack and I headed to Garage Burger Bar (10242-106 Street) for a late lunch this afternoon. I had assumed good things about Garage from its four year streak in claiming Vue Weekly‘s vote for “Best Burger” in its annual Golden Fork Awards. As such, I was expecting burger-equivalent fireworks when they received top honors again just last week.

We arrived at the restaurant just after four, greeted by a waitress relieved to be relinquished from her boredom – it turns out we were the first customers since the lunch rush ended several hours before. Needless to say, this wasn’t a positive initial impression.

It was fairly nice out (though it drizzled a bit later on), so we decided to sit out on their small enclosed patio. The plastic lawn chairs weren’t the most comfortable furniture I’d ever encountered, but they served their purpose. The interior of the dining room itself (a refurbished garage – hence the name) was in a word, “dingy,” but something I think wouldn’t be as noticeable with a larger crowd present. The waitress said that Garage had been around for over fifteen years, and admittedly, it showed.

We perused the menu, and Mack commented that he liked the fact that all burgers with the exception of one were priced equally at $5.99. Fries, however, had to be ordered separately ($1.79). I chose the Bacon(!) Mozza Burger (self explanatory), while Mack was delighted to verbalize his selection of the Dana Burger (cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, BBQ sauce).
The food, as expected, arrived in an expedient fashion. We were both disappointed when we realized the patties weren’t made from fresh ground beef and wondered how an establishment could have garnered such acclaim from frozen meat. Secondly, I thought the fries tasted as if they had been refried from the batch left over from the lunch crowd.
While the service was good, prices reasonable, and patio pleasant, I can’t say Garage deserved its Golden Fork. At least not until they rehaul their burgers.
Restaurant exterior
Interior
Bacon Mozza Burger
Dana Burger

Exceeding Expectations: Milestone’s

During my research for a trip to Vancouver earlier this year, I came across a “Best of” survey in the Georgia Straight weekly that listed the chain Milestone’s as the second best place for brunch in the city. Until reading that, I had no idea Milestone’s (1708-99 Street) even offered a brunch menu. After perusing their selections online, I decided it would be a nice place for my family and I to take my Mum in celebration of Mother’s Day.

I had made reservations a few weeks ago just in case, but it wasn’t as busy as I expected it to be on a lovely Sunday morning. With warmer tones, a casual atmosphere, and more family-oriented than the comparable Murrieta’s Grill, the decor holds up surprisingly well for brunch, making the most of its high windows and reflective mirrors.

I quite like their menu as a whole, as it contains some interesting takes on traditional weekend fare. Along these lines, I ordered their Italian Sausage Frittata (open faced omelette with fresh garden vegetables, fresh basil, roasted italian sausage, mozzarella and reggiano cheese). My mum opted for the Strawberry French Toast, my Dad chose the Grilled Shrimp California Benedict (in lieu of the Prime Rib Hash that they had “run out of”), and Amanda and Felicia ordered Joe’s Special (seasoned ground beef, fresh spinach, sliced mushrooms, scrambled eggs, chipotle catsup, parmesan) and the Californian Omelette (double-smoked bacon, spicy house-made avocado salsa, diced Roma tomatoes, sharp cheddar), respectively.

The food took a while, but besides that, I had no complaints about the service. When our dishes did arrive, though, not only were they beautifully plated (a detail often overlooked by larger chain restaurants), but the portions were huge (the French Toast in particular)! As for my fritatta, I can’t fully comment on the taste, as the spicy tomato sauce it was smothered in overpowered the sausage and all other additions to the egg. I suppose this could be likened to the spread I used to dislike on Blue Plate Diner’s meatloaf, but have now grown to appreciate, though I would have preferred it sans sauce on the first go-around.

Milestone’s isn’t by any means an inspired choice for brunch, but it was surprisingly good and definitely exceeded my expectations.

Cozy booth
Italian Sausage Frittata
Strawberry French Toast
Grilled Shrimp California Benedict
Joe’s Special
Californian Omelette

Fine Dining, American Style: Ruth’s Chris Steak House

I first posted about Ruth’s Chris Steak House (9990 Jasper Avenue) in November last year when it had just opened in Edmonton. I finally had the opportunity to dine there with a few friends to celebrate a belated birthday.

I’m not sure why steak houses invariably have less lighting sources than other restaurants, but Ruth’s Chris is an exemplar of this. Muted spotlights created a hazy darkness that when combined with the rich red carpeting and dark furniture, could be seen as the picture-perfect abode for stereotypical cinematic Asian gangsters. That said, our dining area (one of three) did have a few elegant touches, including a blue-lit wine cabinet and a soothing water wall. Interestingly enough, the conversational volume in the room rose quite a bit over the course of the evening, bordering on loud in such a small room, but was surprisingly refreshing for a dressed-to-the-nines crowd where I was expecting hushed whispers.

I was glad to see a good selection of non-steak options on the menu, but as I’m not a vegetarian, I couldn’t very well not sample their beef on my introductory visit. The birthday girl and I both chose the Petite Filet, while my two other friends opted to share the Porterhouse for Two. In addition, we selected three sides to share (ordered a la carte) – sautéed mushrooms, au gratin potatoes, and the sweet potato casserole.

The plates arrived smoking hot (out of a 500 degree oven, our server claimed), and the quality was at it should be for an establishment of this caliber. My steak was grilled to medium perfection, tender and spiced to play up the natural flavour of the meat. One of my friends commented that the corn-fed Midwestern U.S. beef (which, with the exception of one dish, Ruth’s Chris proudly serves in ranch-rich Alberta) lacked the “kick” she’s used to tasting in grain-fed Alberta beef (I’m afraid my palette isn’t refined enough to make that distinction). All of the sides were delicious as well – the sautéed mushrooms were lightly coated with savoury garlic butter; the au gratin potatoes were rich and creamy, topped with melted cheddar; and the caramelized-pecan crusted casserole could have doubled as dessert.

For dessert, I ordered the Creme Brulee served with mixed berries and mint. Beautifully presented in a white ceramic dish on a black plate (accented with the reds and the blues of the berries), it was a satisfyingly velvety custard complemented by the warm, sweet crunch of caramelized sugar.

My fine dining experiences are few and far between, but Ruth’s Chris is right on par with other restaurants on the pricey end of the scale. While too expensive for an every day dinner, Ruth’s Chris is worth a try if you are a steak connoisseur, or are looking for an intimate venue for that special occasion.

Theatre: “Dreamland Saturday Nights”

May and I then attended a matinee of David Belke’s remounted Dreamland Saturday Nights at the Varscona. From the website:

“When two lonely hearts meet at an old time repertory cinema, they discover that where one sees colour and romance in a search for love and adventure, the other analyses lighting, direction and camera angles. The play follows the growth of their relationship over a series of Saturday nights as they watch old movies together, eat popcorn and fall in love – with a little help from their friends, Bogart, Davis and Astaire.”

Just as nostalgic as the description portrays, the play was a classic Belke romantic comedy. I loved the use of old trailers and concession advertisements to set the tone as the audience seated themselves (though Shadow Theatre’s own trailers could have been better put together – I thought they were fake until I looked in the program). The set was as functional as it was pretty – the designer found great replicas of theatre seats and a concession stand to accompany the whimsical pastel colored swirl backdrop, evoking the desired feeling of innocence and push for simpler times. The stage also incorporated a clever sheer movie ‘screen,’ to distinguish between the film realm and reality.

Like most Belke plays, the supporting cast stole the show. Patrick Howarth, the only actor who appeared in the original, was fantastic. His impersonations were spot-on (and he can dance!), with his Jack Nicholson imitation garnering the most laughs. Aimee Beaudoin, playing the “wicked” gold digger, was so fabulous in her oozing indifference and cruelty that I was left wondering how it could have been possible that I’d never seen her before. In particular, her maturity as an actress shone through in her Bette Davis masquerade. Angela Christie was well-cast as Dorothy, the cute and shy female lead, but I’m still unsure about Chris Bullough. Although better this time around than in Teatro’s House of Cats earlier this season, he didn’t completely convince me that he was remotely torn about his decision of tearing down the Dreamland. The program didn’t list the original cast, but as Chris Fassbender was a Belke favorite while he was still in town, I couldn’t help but think Fassbender’s ability to juggle quirkiness with heartfelt sincerity would have better suited the role.

As a classic movie fan, I’m embarrassed to say I couldn’t recognize all of the allusions (the buck stopped with Citizen Kane and Empire Strikes Back for me), but I could relate to Dorothy’s sentiment of wanting to have a bit of both Oz and Kansas in her life. So despite its shortcomings, Dreamland Saturday Nights was an enjoyable piece of fantasy, comedy, and romance.

Not for the Impatient: Two Rooms Restaurant

For a pre-play brunch, I suggested to May that we try Two Rooms Cafe (101, 10324-82 Avenue), located in the historic Dominion Hotel. Hosting only seven tables, the restaurant is charming but small. With a warm decor – brown with stone accents, decorative cases, and a water wall – the dining room melded perfectly with the open-concept kitchen (or second “room”).

I was happy that the waitress still let us order from the 9am-12pm breakfast menu at 12:15. May selected the Cinnamon Kissed French Toast, while I chose the Indian-spiced Tofu Scramble. Given the decent staff-to-customer ratio, and the small number of tables to begin with, who knew our meals would take over 40 minutes to prepare?

May was disappointed with her dish, which ended up being much too sweet, overloaded with an intense amount of raspberry puree. My tofu scramble was all right – I’ve never had turmeric in a breakfast dish before, and it did add an interesting kick to the eggs. The potatoes were noticeably good, soft and well-seasoned.

At the end of it, May and I both agreed that we’d be more likely to head back to Murrieta’s than Two Rooms.

Cinnamon Kissed French Toast

Indian-Spiced Tofu Scramble

Satisfyingly Authentic: B-Bim-Baab Restaurant

My fellow Europe-bound companions and I had dinner at an off-the-beaten path Korean restaurant in a southside business park. B-Bim-Baab (9543-42 Avenue) came with Annie’s recommendation of authenticity and quality, and as the rest of us soon discovered, she was spot on.

With dated furniture of the Pagolac variety and aged carpeting, it was clear the decor wasn’t the main attraction of B-Bim-Baab. We decided to split four dishes, and after some discussion, ordered the Dolsot B-Bim-Baab (rice and egg, among other ingredients served in a Hot Stone Bowl), Tofu Yachae Bokum (pan fried tofu stir fried with vegetables), Charp Chae (clear potato string noodles stir fried with seasoned black mushrooms and vegetables), and Chicken Tang Su Yuk (crispy chicken with sweet and sour black bean sauce, tossed with slices of green pepper, red peppers, onions, and pine apples).

The very polite and petite waitresses were quite attentive over the course of dinner, though there was an accident involving chili sauce and Annie’s white hoodie. The dishes arrived one after the other, and all contained generous servings. My favorite dish was probably the B-Bim-Baab, if not only for the novelty of the Hot Stone Bowl. The egg added a creaminess to the sticky, crunchy rice for a texture previously unbenowst to me.
When we left, we were surprised how busy the restaurant was, given it was Friday night, and its location in the ‘middle of nowhere.’ But like El Rancho in the northside, this can be considered another of Edmonton’s ethnic gems.
Restaurant interior
Rice
Bean Sprouts
Kim Chee
Dolsot B-Bim-Baab
Tofu Yachae Bokum
Charp Chae
Chicken Tang Su Yuk

A Black & White Affair: Culina

Ask any of my close friends and they’ll tell you that I carry “the list” with me at all times. This piece of paper contains my culinary hit list – names and addresses of city restaurants I would like to try. Subscribing to the mantra of “always prepared,” I know I’ll have an answer to the question of “Where do you want to eat?”

So on Saturday, I finally made it to the place at the top of the list. Culina (9914-89 Avenue), based on its local recognition and critical acclaim, is the middle-income equivalent of Vancouver’s Vij’s. Brad Lazerenko’s name is eternally on the lips of those in the business, and I had to find out if his Culina really deserved all of the hype.

I made sure to call ahead for reservations, having heard their weekend brunch was quite popular. When Bettina and I arrived just after noon, all but two tables were full. The restaurant was much smaller than I had anticipated – seating capacity couldn’t have been more than 35 tops – and was decidedly chic. Stark contrasts created by eggshell white walls and curtains, black floor, and dark brown furniture translated into a modern, if not slightly cold decor. I know this is a personal bias (which I’ve expressed before), but an enjoyable brunch in my mind must be supplemented with sunshine and possess that feeling of kick-back casual. Amidst the rather formal surroundings of Culina’s dining room with its shrouded windows, I couldn’t help but think it may function better as a business lunch or dinner destination.

Our waitress was on the green side, but did her best to find out the answers to our questions. Bettina ended up ordering ‘the ham and cheese’ (honeyham and edam on grilled raisin bread), served with salad, while I chose the ‘bacon and eggs’ (slow braised bacon, mushroom frittata, potato hash, rye toasts, spicy ketchup).

Our food arrived in a prompt fashion. Bettina didn’t have anything negative to say about her sandwich, except that it was really nothing special. As for my meal – it was different, and definitely showcased the creative cuisine Lazarenko is known for. In place of traditional bacon, the meat portion of the dish was fried pieces of pulled pork. It wasn’t bad, but did take some getting used to. The frittata was topped with a blue cheese mushroom cream sauce, and though I initially winced at the mention of blue cheese, it turned out to be surprisingly good.

I will admit to having unbridled expectations for Culina – both because of how long it took me to eat there and all of the glowing literature I had read. So while I wasn’t entirely disappointed, Culina’s brunch just isn’t for me. I’m willing to give their dinner a shot, but it may have to wait in lieu of their rather pricey menu.

Restaurant interior
Sugar and creamer
Water in a wine bottle
‘the ham and cheese’
‘bacon and eggs’

Theatre: “Closer and Closer Apart”

Uncomfortably full, Dickson and I headed to the Roxy Theatre for Eugene Strickland’s Closer and Closer Apart. Though I usually shy away from dramas, I was intrigued by both the award-winning playwright and all-star cast. I wasn’t disappointed. From the program:

“A man once renowned for his architecture can no longer recognize his own reflection. Dressed perfectly in a suit and tie, he clings to his life’s details scrawled on scraps of paper. As he proudly tries to battle Alzheimer’s Disease on his own, his children attempt to map out the future of a man who seems lost in a city he helped build. ”

The living room set was gorgeous – strikingly modern and classic at the same time. So hip it seemed that the older, retired architect looked out of place in his own home. The backbone of a bookcase was certainly the dominating feature – both in size and representation of the crumbling state of Joe’s mental organization.

Closer and Closer Apart is one of those beautifully written, character-driven plays where details are at a premium and the audience thirsts for information (e.g. tracking the timeline of the mother’s death and Melody’s move), a valley created that mirrors Joe’s own need to fill in the blanks that he cannot recall. The opening scene with Michael, frantic on his cell phone, was brief, yet incredibly revealing. This is a sign of a deft playwright.

At intermission, I turned to Dickson and commented on how James DeFelice was “acting the crap out of his role.” In the challenging character of the architect, he not only had the speech pattern and timing dead on, but everything from his shuffle to the way his shoulders hunched over conveyed the image of a proud yet fragile man. Between his mannerisms and his dated wide-lapel, double-breasted suit, buttoned just under his belly with tie astray, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the West Wing‘s Leo McGarry (which layered the character with even more history for me, though admittedly misplaced). Sue Huff (replacing the Sterling Caroline Livingstone) was surprisingly good, visibly torn between the choice of her father or her future. Julian Arnold had a smaller role than expected – a barrel of energy on stage, his character didn’t demand too much from the seasoned actor.

Though Dickson was slightly disappointed with the ambiguous, unresolved ending, I think the play ultimately accomplished what it set out to do – raise the issue of Alzheimer’s, framing it in a realistic, relatable context. Strickland mentioned in an interview printed in the program that the play provided an outlet for those affected by the disease to speak about it without having to refer to those around them. He reached this goal in spades, crafting a heartfelt, touching work about the importance of family and connection.

Un-egg-ceptional: Red Robin’s

Dickson and I decided to head to the downtown Red Robin’s (11215-104 Avenue) for a bite to eat before catching a play on Tuesday night. With friendly kitsch, bright decor, and unlimited baskets of fries, the restaurant is a solid choice for a casual meal.

I love their economical French Onion Soup – served with a slice of cheese toast, it’s the best deal on the menu. This time around though, I decided to spring for the Royal Red Robin Burger, described on the website as, “the aristocrat of all burgers because we crown it with a fresh jumbo fried egg.” Mack and Dickson order it without fail, so I figured I’d give it a shot to see what all the fuss was about.

It was certainly filling (as most of their burger meals are), but between the beef and the rest of the fixings, it was difficult to taste the egg at all. Perhaps I’d have to sample it again, but I’m more likely to stick with my tried-and-true bacon and cheese next time.

Defaced tabletop display (courtesy of Dickson)
Royal Red Robin Burger